Happy New Year, Sourwolf
by NotxMyxDivision
Summary: "You want something, Stiles?" "Just to wish you a happy New Year. But I assume you knew I was calling, since the phone hadn't even rung once when you picked up and practically snarled at me through the connection."


It's 11 pm when Derek got the phone call from Stiles. He hadn't been waiting for it, at all. On the contrary, he had been busy looking through the couple notebooks he had found in a little safe hidden underneath the still partially intact floor of the Hale house. He wasn't waiting for any phone calls, since he was awfully busy with pretending it was just the regular Monday evening, and not the 31st of December. Yet as soon as his ears picked up on the buzz that an incoming call made before his phone started ringing, he had already grabbed the phone, picking up as soon as the first note of his ringtone started playing, knowing it was Stiles without having to look at the screen. "What?"

A soft chuckle answered him._ "Hey Sourwolf. That was fast you picked up the phone."_

Derek rolled his eyes, closing the notebook that lay on his lap. "You want something, Stiles?"

_"Just to wish you a happy New Year. But I assume you knew I was calling, since the phone hadn't even rung once when you picked up and practically snarled at me through the connection."_

"Stiles."

_"I swear I could feel your fangs in my ear. IN my ear, Derek. It's like sexual phone assault."_

"Stiles."

Another chuckle. _"Alright, I'll stop. How is your New Years Eve going?"_

Derek didn't reply immediately, glancing around the departed warehouse he had been using as a temporary hide-out and practice terrain for his newly formed and still slightly dysfunctional pack. It was dark, except for the pocket light he had taped to the couch to form an improvised lamp, and there were broken car parts and oil stains on the cold concrete. Isaac had wanted to add lights all around the warehouse, but Derek had blown off the idea with the excuse that he had no money to spend on something as ridiculous as fairy lights. Derek hated the little lamps almost as much as the actual Fairies. And Isaac was celebrating New Years at Stiles' place, so it wasn't as if the curly-haired teenager was missing out on something. "It's going fine."

There was a groan at the other end, which made Derek roll his eyes again. Too bad Stiles wasn't there to see it. _"You aren't celebrating at all, are you?"_

Another silence. "Maybe."

_"Derek.."_

"It's fine." He interrupted, lifting the hand that he wasn't using to hold the phone and rubbing a hand over his face. "I'm tired anyway. Just going through some stuff and then I'm off to bed. Catch an early night."

_"No way."_

Derek decided right then that Stiles' voice was way too happy. "What did you do? Stiles."

_"Don't worry, Sourwolf. Nothing bad. Hey, my dad is calling me downstairs to watch this ridiculous show. I'll talk to you later. Happy New Year from me and Isaac."_

"Stiles." Derek tried to make his voice as menacing and cold as he could, but Stiles had already hung up on him. "Annoying little brat."

"Oh, come on, Derek, you know you don't mean that." A voice from behind him spoke, and Derek's fangs were out the second he jumped up, turning to look at the person who had dared.. Had been **able** to sneak up on him like that. In the darkness, out of the reach of the pocket light, were a widely smiling Erica and Boyd, both holding bags full of something that smelled a lot like Chinese food. His stomach growled before he himself was able to, and he just stared at them a couple seconds before sighing and pushing his wolf back down. "What are you doing here?"

Erica rolled her eyes at him, taking a couple steps forward. "Celebrating New Years Eve, of course." Her voice was sickingly sweet, and Derek could smell the pheromones coming off her in waves. He wrinkled his nose and glanced at Boyd, who had the decency to look slightly awkward, scratching his neck and looking at the floor. Erica huffed, turning his attention towards her. Putting the bags down on the floor, she called out. "Get in here, Scotty. No use hiding if we can all hear you breathe."

There was a soft rustle, and then Scott appeared in Derek's vision. Scott, of all people. Derek frowned, looking from Erica to Boyd to Scott, and raised an eyebrow, an expression that clearly said 'why the hell are you here'.

"My mom has the night shift in the hospital." Scott explained, throwing two duffel bags at Derek, who easily caught them and gave Scott a glare, that the teenager didn't seem to care about. "Stiles told me you would probably just sit in the dark and sulk, and told us to bring you in the party mood. I brought blankets. And a couple pillows."

"And me and Erica brought food." Boyd's deep rumble added, as Erica spread out the blankets on the floor, putting the paper plates on top of it and taking the boxes of Chinese food out of the bags, neatly putting them down next to the plates. She smiled again as she looked up at Derek, who was still standing where he had been standing before, unsure of what to do. "We also brought along some alcohol, since I assumed you wouldn't be all too stern about underaged drinking."

Derek opened his mouth, closed it again, and shrugged. "Your choice."

"Spoken like a true Alpha." Scott said, and Boyd smacked the back of his head, for which Derek was incredibly grateful, especially when Scott let out a whine and rubbed the sore spot, and Erica laughed. He felt the corners of his mouth tug up, and grabbed one of the pillows, flopping down on it and reaching for the bottle of wine Erica had just unpacked, pulling out the cork with his nails and taking a large gulp. It was a sweet wine, soft and slightly dry on his tongue, and he found himself finishing half the bottle. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as he put it down again, ignoring the stare from his pups and almost-pup aka Scott. He reached for a box of rice, pausing to growl at the others to join them on the blankets, and filled his plate. The Chinese food had a strong smell, but it didn't smell as cheap as the one Derek usually ate, so he assumed they must've gotten it from an actual restaurant. Part of him wanted to ask where, but the wolf part just wanted to start eating, so he did.

* * *

When it was almost midnight, Derek allowed himself to be pulled outside to look at the fireworks that lit up the night sky. They sat down on top of an old bus, huddled together and the blankets wrapped around their shoulders, waiting until the first bang and following of bright colors in the dark. The last time Derek had went out to see fireworks had been when he was 15 and his family wasn't burnt to death, so when the familiar flower shapes appeared, the accompanying bangs almost too loud for their sensitive ears, he was filled with the sadness of nostalgia. He almost got up right then and there, wanting to go back inside and pretend this never happened, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. As he glanced to the side, he saw Boyd raising an eyebrow at him. A silent question to stay here, with him and Erica and Scott. With his pack. _HIS pack._ His new family. Erica sneakily wrapped an arm around Derek's waist and put her head on his shoulder, which she _knew_ Derek usually wouldn't allow, but for some reason he didn't feel the need to push her away. "Happy New Year, Derek."

"Happy New Year." Boyd and Scott agreed, as they passed a bottle of Jack Daniels - where did the alcohol keep coming from? - and smiled. Scott seemed more at ease now, and it made Derek more relaxed, knowing that there was a chance he would still accept Derek as his Alpha, accept the pack dynamics and make everything easier. He felt the eyes of the teenagers on him, and he rolled his eyes. "Fine. Happy New Year. Now give me that." He grabbed the bottle from Scott's hands, and lifted it in the air. "A toast: to not dying next year. Erica?"

Erica snorted. "To not dying next year AND managing to pass chemistry with more than the absolute minimum. Scotty?"

Scott sighed dreamily. "To another year with Allison. Maybe this year we can finally go all the way and try.."

Derek growled, really not interested in Scott's sexual endeavors with the hunter's offspring. Instead he turned the attention to Boyd. "Boyd?"

Boyd gave him a look and then, out of nowhere, smiled, as he squeezed Derek's shoulder before putting his hand in his lap again. "To belonging somewhere."

There was a silence, as everyone turned back to the fireworks, which were slowly coming to an end, the flowers getting more and more elaborate, until there was a rainbow explosion of glitter, and it turned dark again.

They stayed there for a while longer, not feeling the need to say anything else, just sitting in comfortable silence, drinking the bottle of Jack. For the first time since becoming Alpha, Derek felt like this could actually work, like he could do this, could lead a pack and deal with the responsibilities.

When he heard Erica's breathing even out next to his ear, he reached inside his pocket and took out his cellphone, opening a new message.

_**To: Stiles Stilinski**_

_**From: Derek Hale**_

_Thank you._

He didn't have to wait too long for a reply.

_**To: Derek Hale**_

**_From: Stiles Stilinski_**

_You're welcome. Happy New Year, Sourwolf._

Notes: I spent most of my New Years Eve writing this, since I was ill and couldn't go out and have fun myself. The story isn't bèta-read and/or checked, so forgive me any stupid mistakes I made. Rock on, pack-junkies.


End file.
